OBSTETRICAL TERMINOLOGY other substances and excretes carbon

dioxide and other wastes.

 Antepartum: The maternal period  Postpartum: The maternal period after
before delivery delivery.
 Apgar Score: The evaluation of an  Premature Labour: Onset of labour less
infant's physical condition, usually than 35 completed weeks of gestation.
performed at 1-5 minute after birth,  Prenatal: Existing or occurring before
including heart rate, respiratory effort, birth
muscle tone, reflex irritability and  Primigravida: A woman who is
colour. pregnant for the first time
 Braxton Hicks Contractions: (false  Primipara (PRIMIP): A woman who has
labour) Relatively painless contractions, had one pregnancy that resulted in a
which may be present throughout the fetus that attained a weight of 500
pregnancy, or just prior to labor. grams or a gestational age of 20 weeks
 Gestation: The period from fertilization regardless of whether the infant was
of the ovum until birth living at birth.
 Grand multipara: A woman who has  Term: A pregnancy that has reached 40
had seven deliveries or more. weeks gestation.
 Gravida: The number of all current and  Trimester: One of three periods of
past pregnancies approximately 3 months into which
 Meconium aspiration syndrome: The pregnancy is divided
inhalation of meconium by the fetus or
neonate, which can block air passages
and result in failure of the lungs to
expand or cause other pulmonary
dysfunction.
 Menarche: The first menstruation and
the commencement of the cyclic
menstrual function.
 Multigravida: A woman who has had
two or more
pregnancies.
 Multipara (MULTIP): A woman who has
had two or more pregnancies resulting
in viable offspring.
 Nullipara: A woman who has never
delivered.
 Ovulation: Release of an ovum or
secondary oocyte from the vesicular
follicle.
 Para: The number of past pregnancies
that have remained viable to delivery.
 Perinatal: Occurring at, or near the
time of birth.
 Placenta: A highly vascular fetal -
maternal organ, through which the
fetus absorbs oxygen, nutrients, and